Why Do I Want to Be a Teacher?

Late last night I had an excellent conversation with a student who came at me with one of those questions that you usually provide a short tweet-like answer to: "So how did you decide to become a teacher?" Often I might answer this with a "Well, I never studied to become a teacher. I actually studied economics." Or a, "I just really enjoy it." If I were interviewing for a new teaching position, of course I would be asked the same question and provide an answer similar to the latter, "I really enjoy teaching and the challenge of working with interesting young people...".

Truthfully though I already know the answer here. I think I value certain qualities in my work, those being (in no particular order):

1. Creativity
2. Freedom
3. Challenge
4. Intrinsically Rewarding

On #1, as a kid I always pictured myself becoming a writer or film director even though I never devoted much time and practice to those pursuits. On #4, I remember in college having a moral dilemma with every career I considered (business/economics didn't seem to be helping the world enough, even medicine seemed like I would only be helping a few people and the good I did would depend on the good done by others).

With teaching however, I get to hit all of these core values right in the sweet spot:

• For #1 and #2, I have learned over the years how much creativity and freedom is involved in teaching and I think this would be very difficult to give up. Once you have a job that allow you to indulge your myths of being a lone wolf and visionary artist that it a tough addiction to break.
• For #3 and #4, obviously teaching teenagers to enjoy math, science, or any subject that isn't eating or chatting is a challenge is a great challenge, but where this job gets truly rewarding is when you get to learn who your students are, what they want to be and can help advise them on how to get there.

If I have students who share my values and get to find studies and work that connect them with those values then I'm excited at that possibility. But the greatest thing will be if they are able to realize their own persona values and discover a path to transforming those values into decisions that affect the rest of their lives.